Comments on: The Nurse thinks again about religious people

By: Herbert L. Shallcross III

Herbert L. Shallcross III — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:32:57 +0000

In my youth, there was still a great deal of social pressure to conform to some form of religion. Atheism was considered shocking.
Now in the developed nations, religion has very litle co-ercive power, and that seems good to me. As an atheist, I am more comfortable anyway.
Now, people like the nurse are intolerant of any religious expression, and given the chance, they would be delighted to use the power of government to compel secular belief.
Try to remember that we only think we know the truth.

By: Herb Shallcross

Herb Shallcross — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:46:38 +0000

Good for Friend X! Christians are directed to visit prisoners.

I’m an atheist, myself. Rather a bleak philosophy if you think about it, and I certainly wouldn’t feel good about trying to burden anyone else with it. Possibly if my beliefs could enrich someone else’s life I’d try to share them.

I am old enough to remember how uncomfortable being made to read Bible verses in public school was, and I wouldn’t like to go back to that, but I’m willing to accept people’s sincere, loving attempts to show me a better life as long as they have no power to compel me to choose it.

Looking at the Ten Commandments, the only one I can’t get behind is the having no other god than me one. It would be a better world if people generally lived by the other nine. If some people are guided toward being good people by religion, I get a benefit from that. Having to deflect the occasional believer is a small price to pay.

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By: Tim@DIY Homebuilt Windpower Generators

Tim@DIY Homebuilt Windpower Generators — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:15:50 +0000

I think you hit the nail on the head. Imagine if everyone was happy to let others make up their own minds instead of coercing them by force or with words and guilt.

By: Val@ 0800Numbers

Val@ 0800Numbers — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:58:31 +0000

You know this took me back years when I read it. I remember an incident in my childhood, one of the first times I felt let down by someone I trusted.
I was very young, just in primary school and quite a shy child I guess. So, when a seemingly fairly popular classmate made it clear she would like to be my “best friend” I was chuffed to say the least.
The long and the short of it was I got an invite to tea followed by an intense grilling from “my friend” and other family members about my thoughts on religion.
I was just a child after all and this was so out of order.
It turned out she was in fact a Jehovahs Witness and I can remember to this day how let down I felt because her intention even at that very young age was to “save me” which was even more important than my friendship!
Strange how things like this remain with you!

By: Trevor@Dolls House

Trevor@Dolls House — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:24:49 +0000

I’m all for people keeping their beliefs to themselves – and stop knocking at my door with their leaflets and pointy heads – nutters -